When caring for your staff, it’s important to know that they aren’t machines. You can’t just throw money at a problem to make it go away, or to improve things. Of course, this can work to some degree, sometimes to a great degree, but if there are deeper problems, money
Being employable is something that most of us all want to be. No matter who we are, our backgrounds, or what industry we work in, you will always want to make sure that you are able to get the job that you want, when you want to get it. Yet,
Conveyor belt systems tend not to get a lot of credit, but choosing the wrong system could damage your productivity, cut your competitive edge and leave you with a large bill to pay to put your mistake right. Here are seven things that you should consider when sourcing a belt
Have you ever wondered whether your land may be of value to developers? And if so, how to make some money out of it? Whether you own farmland or a large garden, bought a plot of land as an investment or have come into an inheritance, you will be pleased
Home improvement projects can come in all shapes and sizes – from simple additions here and there to full-on extensions being added to the side of the house. However, while making any kind of change to your home may seem incredibly exciting on the surface, it’s important to bear in
Employee-owned packaging business Kite Packaging is constantly bringing solutions to market to support companies looking for high quality packaging. In recent years they have shown a commitment to increasing their range of environmental solutions, and their paper bubble dispenser box is their newest addition. 100% recyclable and the perfect solution
When caring for your staff, it’s important to know that they aren’t machines. You can’t just throw money at a problem to make it go away, or to improve things. Of course, this can work to some degree, sometimes to a great degree, but if there are deeper problems, money can’t solve it. For instance, you can’t guarantee that your staff will follow safety protocol more closely or work more productively by giving them more money to do so. That being said, investing in safety equipment and training can help these results come about more efficiently. So perhaps it’s not about throwing money at a problem, but rather knowing where to divert it, and use what you know about people management to aid you. Yet all of this is unimportant if you cannot look after your staff correctly. They require careful maintenance, and must be given the tools to succeed. More than that, looking after your staff isn’t just a nice thing to do to get into the ‘best employer awards’, it’s also something that you must practice to abide by employment law. So, let’s consider how we can improve in our approach: Give Them Regular Breaks Give your staff regular breaks. This is more than just being nice. It can be a statistic that you track in order to better understand how your staff are managed, and what changes you need to make. In any vehicle over 3.5 tonnes, the EU stipulates that a digital tachograph should be implemented to measure working time directive calculations and more. If working in a construction industry, this could be a vital new addition to ensure you’re abiding by the right rules, and helping your staff get the rest they need. Improve Your HR Department HR can sometimes be seen as a corporate tool of keeping staff in line, but that’s not the whole truth. From helping staff with mental health issues (as in referring them in the right location) to ensuring complains are dealt with, to offering a confidential space for staff to report issues within your firm, improving your HR department means investing in your people and ensuring they are cared for. This is more than a platitude. It’s a practical daily effort to increase your continual worth. Celebrate & Praise Their Progress Celebrate and praise the progress that they’re making. Furthermore, only give this praise when it’s due. Ironically, the more you do that, the more staff will trust it, and from there they will give you reasons to offer them praise. This serves as a means of both training and encouraging staff, as when you praise something you like to see, they will likely repeat that. For instance, if the safety equipment on site has been perfectly inventoried and tracked, complement the team the next day for it. This tool is free, and it gives you the chance to more easily develop your team and your relationship with them. With this advice, we hope you can look after your staff more easily.
Being employable is something that most of us all want to be. No matter who we are, our backgrounds, or what industry we work in, you will always want to make sure that you are able to get the job that you want, when you want to get it. Yet, it’s not always that easy. Even if you are a great person, you are someone that really cares about the work they do and puts the effort in, you may still not have an aura of employability about you. It could be that maybe your CV isn’t quite selling you, or that you don’t have some of the skills that people are looking for. It could even be that you can’t get across your skills enough. As much as you may not want it to, this could then actually hinder your chances of moving up in the industry or getting the job that you want. And so, you’re going to want to think about what you can do to make sure that you are more employable. It can be hard to work out what you need to do to be able to make that happen. Maybe you are a hard worker and you are already doing a great job? When that’s the case, you may not know what you need to do to stand out more. However, you’ll be glad to know that there are a handful of things that you can do that will really help you to stand out. Here are ten options to help you. 1. Get Some Coaching To star with, if what you really want is to be able to move up in your career and get into a management role, then maybe leadership coaching would be for you? You may find that once you get some accountability and guidance, you start to know exactly what it is that you need to do to grow. But, this can take time and it’s a learning curve. Either way, having a coach can really help you here. 2. Learn A New Skill Next up, it could be that you want to think about picking up a new skill. If you are worried about employability, one of the best things that you can do is learn something new. If your skillset is limited, trying your hand at a new skill that will help you to grow is exactly what you need. 3. Get Further Qualifications And then, you might even want to think about taking that to the next level by getting further qualifications. Maybe there is a professional qualification in your field that you can undertake? Or even a higher-level degree that you can study for? These can definitely help to boost your appeal to employers. 4. Speak To A Specialist The next thing that you might want to do here, is speak to a specialist in all things careers. It could be reading careers advice online or getting in touch with an HR expert. Either way, if you’re able to get all of the information you need about what would make you more employable, or what you can do to get a promotion, it’s going to help. Anything that is more personalised to your role and industry will allow you to implement changes and climb the career ladder. 5. Drill Down On Your Talents From here, you’re then going to want to make sure that you’re really harnessing your talents. We all have talents – no matter whether you’re a skilled worker, manager, or in the finance team. Everyone has strong points. Yet, do you know what yours are? If you don’t, it’s time to think about them. If your CV doesn’t show off who you are and what your talents are, then how would an employer know? 6. Improve Your Performance Then, you might want to think about what you can do to improve your performance. If you know that you could liaise with customers better or avoid errors more often, then you’d definitely stand out more. It could be as simple as minimizing distractions or using a good consumer guide to choose more effective eyewear. Anything you can do to help improve your performance will always be a great idea. 7. Go Above & Beyond From here, you’re also going to want to make sure that you’re doing more. If you just do the bare minimum of work then you may not stand out. Yet if you’re the one going above and beyond and looking to do more to drive the company forward, you’re going to stand out as an important employee. 8. Do Some Volunteer Work Another thing that you can do here is volunteer. Not everything you do should be centred around your current role. If you want to show that you are a great person to hire, give your skills, experience, and CV some depth. When you volunteer your time to a cause, it can allow you to grow your talents and broaden your horizons. And, not only that, it will show that you have another dimension to you. 9. Get Results The next thing that you can do, is to make sure that you are delivering results. This can sound really hard on face value, but if you can start to talk about your job and role in numbers and figures, you will suddenly look impressive. Employers want to know what you can do for them. If you can show how you’ve increased profit margins by X or lowered employee turnover by X, you’ll start to look like a more professional candidate. 10. Understand How You Add Value Finally, you’re then going to want to make sure that you are aware of exactly how you add value to a business. Great people really matter in a company, but if you’re not getting results or adding value, then you won’t stand out. But if you are fully aware of how you can benefit or enhance a business with your skills,
Conveyor belt systems tend not to get a lot of credit, but choosing the wrong system could damage your productivity, cut your competitive edge and leave you with a large bill to pay to put your mistake right. Here are seven things that you should consider when sourcing a belt conveyor system for your business. Your specification requirements Whether you are shopping for a large or small conveyor belt, you need to take into consideration the length, width, height and weight of the product that your conveyer belt will be handling. In particular, the weight of your product will determine the motor sizing that you need and may also influence the curvature of the belt. 2. The production rate The production rate of most conveyor belts is measured per minute or per hour. Depending on the production rate that you need for your products, you may need to look at conveyor systems with a specific speed capability. Running your conveyer too slow could harm your productivity, but running it too fast could cause damage to your product and endanger your employees. 3. Process impact Part orientation is a significant concern in manufacturing and can dictate which conveyor belt you need or if you are going to require additional equipment to complete your material handling. A precision index converter is a good option to consider if part orientation is a key factor in your transportation process. If you are shifting pallets, then don’t forget to look into pallet conveyors that are outfitted with additional fixtures to help maintain a balanced orientation at all times. 4. The environment Not all conveyor belt systems are suitable for all manufacturing environments. For example, some belts may malfunction if they encounter metal shavings from metal parts. To avoid costly repairs and downtime, be sure to take the environmental conditions of your operation into consideration when choosing your conveyer belt system. 5. The layout you need The layout of your belt system will also impact the material of the belt used and could rule out certain types of systems. If you are operating your conveyor belt on an incline or a decline, then often you will need to choose a stronger belt material to accommodate the extra force. If your belt system includes a lot of corners, then again, you will need to consider corner sections and additional features to ensure that your products remain on the right course and in the right orientation. 6. Safety As with all equipment, another very important factor to consider is the safety of your belt system. Some belts come with built-in safety features, whereas others do not. To keep your employees safe, it is essential that you thoroughly research the relevant safety precautions and put safety measures in place to prevent accidents or injury. 7. Durability Last, but not least, having found the perfect belt system for your product, you need to ensure that it is durable and maintainable in the long term. There may be cheaper belt options out there, but these will ultimately cost you more in the long run to replace, so do not be afraid of spending more at the outset to source a belt that is strong and easy to maintain. So there you have it – seven things to consider when sourcing a belt conveyor system for your warehouse – do you have anything else to add?
Have you ever wondered whether your land may be of value to developers? And if so, how to make some money out of it? Whether you own farmland or a large garden, bought a plot of land as an investment or have come into an inheritance, you will be pleased to hear that housing development land has never been in greater demand. We all know why – there’s a national housing crisis on! This means that local councils are actively looking for more land for residential development, putting you in a great position to take advantage of the commercial opportunities of selling your land. Here are four things you need to know about selling land for housing development. Before you get carried away with the prospect of significant financial gain, the first question to get clarity on is whether you have the ‘right’ sort of land that developers might be interested in. Let’s just say that if you own a field in the middle of one of Britain’s 15 National Parks, the site is less likely to be suitable than if your asset is a disused urban plot. That said, cases are very rarely clear cut, so always double-check your assumptions by speaking to an industry expert. A planning consultancy or land development agency should be your first port of call. Some may offer free initial advice, others may charge you for a detailed planning appraisal. The latter can be a useful tool on a site where the suitability for development may not be that obvious and may first need to be established. 2. What are the first steps to sell your land? Whether you are selling your home or a plot of land, professional advice and guidance is a must. According to this property expert, there are 11 steps to getting your land sold, from the initial assessment of your land’s potential through to close cooperation with your land agent to close the deal. Put bluntly, when it comes to land sales, the layman simply doesn’t have the necessary commercial experience or technical knowledge to be a match for professional teams negotiating on behalf of seasoned housebuilders. In order to get the best deal for your land, you should find yourself a knowledgeable land agent that you can trust to represent your interests and who will guide you through the complex sales process with integrity and plenty of industry experience. Ask other landowners for references and recommendations and choose an agent who will work with you to create a marketing strategy that best suits your financial goals and the particular character of your land. 3. How much can you get for your land? This is where it gets interesting. While a surveyor can give you an informed valuation of your land as is, its real value clearly lies in its development potential. Basically, the site is worth as much as a developer is prepared to pay for it, meaning the value of your land is proportionate to the financial return the buyer can achieve. In practical terms, the value of a field with planning permission for residential development is calculated as the profit that can be made from selling the individual houses once they’re built. The trick to maximising the value of your land to you, the seller, therefore lies in working with highly experienced land professionals to identify the best land use and development that will be most lucrative for the developer and, by extension, for you. 4. How do you get planning permission for your land? For the seller, the biggest financial gains are made by transforming a piece of land without planning permission into one with planning permission. Getting consent for the right scheme is crucial to maximise the land’s value. Often, developers will want to control the planning process themselves so it can be tailored to the exact product specifications, but it is possible (though risky) to get your own. Below are the most commonly used mechanisms of sale for land transactions: The most straightforward way to dispose of your land and the quickest way to liquidise the asset is by way of an unconditional sale. That way, the land is sold without any conditions other than vacant possession on completion. However, selling the land without planning permission for the buyer to develop the site is unlikely to achieve the maximum value of the land for you. If you are confident that the buyer can make a profit, you may be able to negotiate an additional ‘hope value’, defined by the RICS as ‘an element of market value in excess of the existing use value, reflecting the prospect of some more valuable future use’. A conditional sale subject to planning permission involves a contract whereby the buyer is obliged to pay an agreed price but only when he has succeeded in obtaining planning consent for the land (at his own cost). The land price achieved is likely to be higher than with an unconditional deal since there is much less risk to the developer. Conditional contracts can be useful because they bind both parties to the deal early on. However, deals like this can literally take years to complete, and sometimes never are. If an uncertain wait is not a satisfactory solution for you, you should seek to structure the deal in a different way. Exploring financing options with a reliable private money lender in Singapore can provide alternative solutions to help you navigate through such property transactions with greater flexibility. Option agreements are the most common form of land transaction. It is a way for landowners to realise an increase in land value but without having to get involved in obtaining planning permission. That risk is taken by the developer who has the option to buy the site at any point during an agreed period, either for a pre-arranged price or at reduced market value. Typically, the sale will be triggered by planning permission being received. Negotiating an option agreement will include agreeing
Home improvement projects can come in all shapes and sizes – from simple additions here and there to full-on extensions being added to the side of the house. However, while making any kind of change to your home may seem incredibly exciting on the surface, it’s important to bear in mind some of the challenges and potential issues you could encounter along the way. Failure to properly prepare in advance or safeguard yourself against any potential issues could only leave you frustrated and out of pocket as a result, which is simply no good for anyone. So, we thought we should help. Join us as we run through some of the key things to look out for before starting any kind of home improvement project – whether it be something simple like installing the right type of skylight rooftop blind or something a lot more complex like checking for damp or asbestos before a loft conversion. 1. Stick To A Budget It’s all too easy to spend, spend, spend when it comes to improving your home, so try to stick to a budget. Before you head to the shops or start contacting tradesmen to do the work, take a look at your finances to see what you can actually afford. Ask yourself: what am I specifically looking for? And how much do I realistically want to spend? While it would be great to work with a builder with the best reputation in the world or fit an air-conditioning unit in your home office, if you can’t afford it then – unfortunately – you’ll only end shooting yourself in the foot in doing so. 2. You Won’t Always Meet Your Deadline While you may dream of having your home renovation done by a set time, as hard as it may be to come to terms with, this may not happen. Say, for example, you want to build an entirely new kitchen in your home – you’ve found the ideal design, the dream tiles and have even booked it in for a set date in the future. Just because it’s been booked in doesn’t mean there won’t be any hiccups along the way. From labour issues to stock problems, there are a lot of components to installing a kitchen, so it only takes one minor thing to go wrong for the deadline to be pushed back. Therefore, don’t rush getting your home renovations done. Take your time to look for the best price and supplier so that you can ensure whatever work you have done – or products you want to buy – are worth it in the end. 3. Get Everything In Writing Without meaning to cause any offence to contractors, they generally aren’t considered to have the best listening skills. Therefore, it’s important to really think about what you want to have done in advance so that you can get it in writing before the work starts. That way, your workmen will have a much better idea of what they’re doing and you’ll feel a lot more rest assured in the fact that the work they’re doing will match what you both agreed to. The last thing you want, after all, is to build a new swimming pool with the wrong sized tub or fit a new bathroom with a sink that doesn’t match your preferred colour scheme. Be upfront and honest with them about what you expect to achieve. 4. Keep The Number Of People Involved To A Minimum As the old saying goes, too many cooks spoil a broth and the same logic applies when it comes to home improvements. With project managers, builders, family members, friends, tradesmen and public planning officers often involved in home renovations or improvement projects, that is a lot of voices and opinions to listen to and work your own way of thinking around. Therefore, not only is it important to trust your own opinion – it’s your home improvement, after all – but it’s also generally considered a good idea to source one or two trusted people to take ownership of the renovation project. That way, you’ll know for definite that whatever it is you’re planning to do will be in the best hands available. Final Thoughts… Improving your home is one of the most exciting things you can do but, if you rush into it, you could end up feeling regretful. To prevent this from happening to you, plan as much as you can in advance and don’t be afraid to ask hard questions if you need to. You may just be thankful you did once the work has all been completed.
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